The most important ingredient to a fresh and flawless look is a fresh and flawless base to set it all off! The cosmetics scene recently has been all about light and luminous bases – these are foundations, but not as we know it! Other than my two long-time faves (Becca’s Tinted Moisturiser and Benefit’s Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation, since you asked), my new love is Shu Uemura’s Stage Performer BB Perfector ($345), which has a silky smooth consistency, light-to-medium coverage that hides minor blemishes, pores and redness, feels feather-light on and gives you a gorgeous glowing radiance.

Don’t forget you also need some good stuff to take your face off at the end of the day too (new year’s resolution – always take your make-up off before bed, your older self will thank you for it!). Cleansers aren’t exactly the most exciting items in the make-up cabinet, which is why I love Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Oil ($600-835) even more; every season they spruce it up with gorgeous packaging and this spring is no exception, with pretty pastels and a girlie masquerade design. Yes, it’s expensive, but no cleansing oil does the job better and one huge bottle should probably last you the whole year.

After going all disco-ball for Christmas, it might be time to head a bit more subtle for spring. Laura Mercier are masters of natural beauty and their new Illuminating Eye Colour shadows ($220) from their Art Deco Muse Collection are lovely light washes of shimmer that work well for your everyday look. The formula is a little dry but not gritty like some metallic shadows, and the colours are uber-pretty. For a light moonlit look, go for the sheer gold of Gilded Platinum whilst the shimmery taupe of Gilded Bronze is absolutely my favourite kind of flattering neutral.

Laura suggests pairing her shadows with crimson lipstick for the true Art Deco look, but for my average day-to-day face, I prefer something a bit more natural. MAC’s Apres-Chic Collection has a nice selection of easy cosy neutrals – and for me, their lippies are still the best on the market in terms of pigmentation, colour, variety and wear-time. My current fave is Warm Companion Lipstick (which I’m wearing above, $145), an extremely pretty beige with a gold pearlescent glimmer; rather than making you look corpse-like as per many ‘neutral’ shades, this is totally gorgeous and compliments rather than blankly covering your natural lip colour. If you prefer a glossy look, try their Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms ($180), which come in various subtle shades, boast an ultra-moisturising formula and are packaged in handy convenient tube applicators rather than you having to swish your fingers in that trusty tin of Vaseline!

That being said, the MAC balms are very sheer, so if you want moisture with a dose more colour, try Clinique’s Chubby Sticks ($150). I am literally obsessed with these babies (I own seven… and counting) and my current go-to for spring is Curvy Candy, a cute fresh soft pink.

See all MAC locations in Hong Kong here; see all Clinique locations in Hong Kong here.

FACE

The final ingredient for you to spring into spring? A rosy glow on your cheeks, of course! MAC’s Apres-Chic Collection has some lovely new Mineralize Skinfinishes ($275) and Mineralize Blushes ($205) that should tick your boxes. In the photo, I’m wearing the Mineralize Skinfinish in Stereo Rose – a bit of a MAC cult favourite, this sells out every time it’s released, as its beautiful coral-gold blend looks universally awesome on all skin tones and adds just the right amount of warmth to your cheeks. Those with fair complexions like me, apply sparingly as this blush is super pigmented!

BODY

Since I’m covering spring beauty top to toe, I may as well mention what’s caught my eye… or more my nose… for the start of 2013! Crabtree & Evelyn have totally upped their game of late, with chic classy packaging and new interesting scents and for spring, I’m loving their new Tarocco Orange, Eucalyptus & Sage Collection. It’s a bright, fresh, clean citrusy scent that’s as far away from a fussy floral as you can imagine – try the scrummy Body Skin Silkening Soufflé ($375) or rejuvenating Skin Invigorating Shower Gel ($195) for a touch of skincare indulgence this season. Just try not to eat it!